"Black History Month."

[Apex]

Well, seeing as you're mormon, and the Mormon church took a bit longer to stop being racist, that doesn't come as a suprise.

Say what you want to say, but if you come as as an insular racist, expect to be called on it.

 

[lilithu]

Well, seeing as you're mormon, and the Mormon church took a bit longer to stop being racist, that doesn't come as a suprise.

That is entirely and utterly IRRELEVANT.

 

[lilithu]

I don't think she was saying that all they learned was that African Americans were slaves....She's given a few other examples of the things they've learned. And, on the contrary, she is arguing for a more equal method of teaching Black history...incorporating it throughout the regular curriculum instead of only focusing on it the one time of the year.

And my point is that it is NOT taught like that. Of course everyone wants history to be history.... white, black, brown, yellow, red. It should all be incorporated. But the history taught in U.S. schools is Eurocentric. It STILL is, even if you got a better picture of Rosa Parks than I did.

In my high school curriculum, African Americans certainly weren't treated as though they only existed during the Civil Rights movement/slavery....but those subjects are concentrated on for good reason- when teaching "American History", because a class can't cover every single event that ever happened, they must focus on the major events. Slavery and its ending were very major events in this country, and I think it's good to focus on them some as a way of showing the horrors of what happened back then...Hopefully some kids get the message and will go on to be more tolerant of others' differences because of it.

I would also like to add that, early on enough, I don't think there was enough of an African American presence to be recorded...Not that they didn't matter, mind you, but...If nothing noteworthy happened other than their suffering and repression, what else do you expect historians to do? And in US history classes I have taken, they don't usually go into a ton of detail about their history in their native countries because...it's not US history.

Major events from who's perspective? How do you know that there was not enough of an African American presence to be recorded? How? Because your history books do not record it? How do you know that nothing noteworthy happened for African Americans? How? Because your history books do not record anything else? You don't even know how Eurocentric the history you've been taught is because you think that everything that is taught is objectively the most important stuff and that stuff that wasn't taught didn't happen or wasn't important.

When it comes to the lack of pre-European American history....Do we have very much historical evidence to teach about? My teachers always enjoyed our sections on Native American peoples, and went into the different groups, their religious rituals, war patterns, allies, enemies, survival methods, etc, etc...
It's not the same as their step-by-step history, but....Perhaps it is the best we can do? Do you know of any surviving historical records of those people? I, personally, don't.... I don't know where they might be found, other than by the word-of-mouth of the people who pass down tales and such....and I know we learned about a few of those.

So you were basically taught about Native Americans as if they were a "foreign" culture. More anthropology than history. My point was that if Native Americans wrote American history it would be different than what you read in your history books in school, written by white Americans. The perspective would be different. Until the various different perspectives that exist in this country are all represented in what passes for "U.S. History," instead of white history with people of color being added on, there will be Black History Month and Latino/Hispanic History Month (in Sept) and Asian Pacific Heritage Month (May) etc.etc.

March is Women's History Month, btw. Because what passes for history in classes is also very male-centric.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

In my high school curriculum, African Americans certainly weren't treated as though they only existed during the Civil Rights movement/slavery....but those subjects are concentrated on for good reason- when teaching "American History", because a class can't cover every single event that ever happened, they must focus on the major events.

To an extent, but there are different ways you can approach those major events. The stories of wars can be taught through accounts of the individual soldiers instead of just names and dates of battles with big coloured arrows labelled with commanders' names on maps. If you've got to show a film about the Civil War, you don't have to show Gone With the Wind - you could show them Glory.

Basically, a large part of covering those major historical events is their impact on society, and even if the grand decision-makers involved were white, there isn't an era in the history of the United States when society wasn't made up of a large proportion of African-Americans.

I would also like to add that, early on enough, I don't think there was enough of an African American presence to be recorded...Not that they didn't matter, mind you, but...If nothing noteworthy happened other than their suffering and repression, what else do you expect historians to do? And in US history classes I have taken, they don't usually go into a ton of detail about their history in their native countries because...it's not US history.

Maybe not directly, but those details provide the context for US history, and context is everything. My favourite quote about this was originally made in the context of geology and rock sampling, but I think it's still illuminating:

"If you bring me a dead cat, all I can tell you is that it's a cat and it's dead. But if you tell me that you found it at the side of the highway, I'll reach a completely different set of conclusions than if you tell me you found it in the kitchen of your favourite restaurant."

The American War of 1812 doesn't make any sense historically unless you look at it through the context of the European War of 1812. American slavery doesn't make any sense historically unless you look at it through the context of the empire/colony relationship between Europe and Africa. You don't know the true impact of the American Revolution unless you know about the French Revolution... and on and on.

When it comes to the lack of pre-European American history....Do we have very much historical evidence to teach about? My teachers always enjoyed our sections on Native American peoples, and went into the different groups, their religious rituals, war patterns, allies, enemies, survival methods, etc, etc...
It's not the same as their step-by-step history, but....Perhaps it is the best we can do? Do you know of any surviving historical records of those people? I, personally, don't.... I don't know where they might be found, other than by the word-of-mouth of the people who pass down tales and such....and I know we learned about a few of those.

Pick a Native American group, any group, and there will probably be several books about them and their history listed on Amazon. Your local library may even have some.

In my classes, we went most into depth on the history of the Six Nations, just because they're the most prominent Native group around here.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

To an extent, but there are different ways you can approach those major events. The stories of wars can be taught through accounts of the individual soldiers instead of just names and dates of battles with big coloured arrows labelled with commanders' names on maps. If you've got to show a film about the Civil War, you don't have to show Gone With the Wind - you could show them Glory.

Basically, a large part of covering those major historical events is their impact on society, and even if the grand decision-makers involved were white, there isn't an era in the history of the United States when society wasn't made up of a large proportion of African-Americans.


Maybe not directly, but those details provide the context for US history, and context is everything. My favourite quote about this was originally made in the context of geology and rock sampling, but I think it's still illuminating:

"If you bring me a dead cat, all I can tell you is that it's a cat and it's dead. But if you tell me that you found it at the side of the highway, I'll reach a completely different set of conclusions than if you tell me you found it in the kitchen of your favourite restaurant."

The American War of 1812 doesn't make any sense historically unless you look at it through the context of the European War of 1812. American slavery doesn't make any sense historically unless you look at it through the context of the empire/colony relationship between Europe and Africa. You don't know the true impact of the American Revolution unless you know about the French Revolution... and on and on.

I think this is why Black History Month, and other months for recognition, is so vital. We must look at our own history (as male and Euro-centric as lilithu aptly described) in the context of other influences. Hopefully, we can learn how to integrate ALL of history from each of the participants' perspectives.

Pick a Native American group, any group, and there will probably be several books about them and their history listed on Amazon. Your local library may even have some.

In my classes, we went most into depth on the history of the Six Nations, just because they're the most prominent Native group around here.

Same here. There are countless books and resources one can find on Native American history and culture.

Speaking of which, when can NA's get their own history month highlighted in the American school system?

 

[painted wolf]

We get November.
Native American Heritage Month

I agree that these monthly events give us a chance to look at history though the eyes of another group of people. It helps us understand not just the history but also hopefully to empathize with them.

History can't easily be viewed through a single lens.... there are too many different perspectives, too many people with unique historical experiences.

And if you want to learn about Native American culture... you can always ask. Most Nations have official web sites now that teach such things. Even language lessons.

wa:do

 

[keithnurse]

We already have plenty of "white history" so we don't need a "white history month". Black history month exists for legitamate reasons to make room for history to be told that has been squeezed out of mainstream history books and classes.

 

[eugenius]

I dont' like a lot of blacks, they always dress like they don't have a job, walk around town very slowly and lazily and speak a lot of ebonics. But I play basketball with some cool black guys so their not all bad.

 

[DallasApple]

But I play basketball with some cool black guys so their not all bad.

Im sure "they" feel the same about you..

Love

Dallas

 

[lilithu]

I dont' like a lot of blacks, they always dress like they don't have a job, walk around town very slowly and lazily and speak a lot of ebonics. But I play basketball with some cool black guys so their not all bad.

Im sure "they" feel the same about you.

Or it's quite possible that they don't....


think he's cool, that is.

 

[Sunstone]

I think the various history months are helpful -- they encourage people to consider different perspectives on history.

 

[kai]

I think the various history months are helpful -- they encourage people to consider different perspectives on history.

I think your right , i think it may just stir some interest in people to take a look at certain times etc ,otherwise how do you understand where you are now?

 

[whereismynotecard]

I dont' like a lot of blacks, they always dress like they don't have a job, walk around town very slowly and lazily and speak a lot of ebonics. But I play basketball with some cool black guys so their not all bad.

O_O Wowza...